Laravel Error 405: Method Not Allowed – How to Fix

Understanding Error 405 in Laravel

Laravel, a popular PHP framework, follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture and makes use of RESTful routing. The ‘405: Method Not Allowed’ error is thrown by Laravel when the HTTP method used in the request is not permitted for the accessed route. This issue primarily arises in the context of form submissions or API calls using methods such as GET, POST, PUT/PATCH, and DELETE.

Common Causes for Error 405

• Misconfigured routes.
• Incorrect HTTP method in the form or Ajax call.
• CSRF token mismatch or absence.

Solution 1: Verify Routes Configuration

This involves checking the ‘routes/web.php’ or ‘routes/api.php’ file to ensure that the correct route and HTTP method are defined.

1. Open ‘routes/web.php’ or ‘routes/api.php’ file.
2. Verify the route is defined and specifies the correct HTTP method.
3. If necessary, update the route to match the HTTP method used in your request.

Example:

<?php

// For a web route:
Route::post('/submit-form', 'FormController@store');

// For an API route:
Route::put('/update-item/{id}', 'ItemController@update');

This solution is straightforward and involves no drawbacks. However, it requires attention to detail for large applications with many routes.

Solution 2: Inspect Form Method

When a form submission causes the error, ensuring that the form method matches the route definition is essential.

1. Check the HTML form’s ‘method’ attribute.
2. For PUT or DELETE requests, include a @method(‘PUT’) or @method(‘DELETE’) blade directive inside the form.
3. Submit the form and observe the result.

Example:

<form action="update-item" method="post">
    @csrf
    @method('PUT')
    <!-- form fields -->
</form>

This is applicable to forms and not API calls. It’s also important to note the inclusion of csrf token directive for security.

Solution 3: Clear Routes Cache

Clearing the cached routes can solve issues arose from outdated route cache.

1. Run ‘php artisan route:clear’ in the terminal.
2. Test your request to see if the error persists.

Example:

php artisan route:clear

// Output
Route cache cleared!

This should be done with caution in production as clearing the cache could impact application performance temporarily.

Solution 4: Modify Middleware

If the request is being blocked by custom middleware, examine and modify the middleware logic.

1. Go to the middleware in ‘app/Http/Middleware’ directory.
2. Inspect the ‘handle()’ method for any logic that might reject your request.
3. Adjust the conditions if necessary to allow the intended method.
4. Test your request.

Example:

public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
    if ($request->isMethod('post')) {
        // Allow only POST requests
        return $next($request);
    }

    // Handling for non-POST requests
    return response('Method Not Allowed', 405);
}

Improperly configured middleware could lead to unwanted application behavior, ensure testing in various scenarios after modification.

Conclusion

The ‘405: Method Not Allowed’ error in Laravel often stems from misconfiguration within the web or API routes, incorrect form methods, route caching issues, or strict middleware. Through a methodical approach to investigating these common sources and applying appropriate fixes, one can resolve the error swiftly and resume normal application performance.